Baptism Day
Bangalore, India
2021, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
In the beginning
was the droplet, and the droplet was
with the revival, and the droplet was
the revival.
The heavens were
bloodthirsty, coloring the sky
red at morning.
The birds plummeted
into hiding, no longer could they be
heard warbling.
The dew danced
on the greens, in the sunlight
it was glimmering.
The children snuck out
to play, their doe-eyes
were sparkling.
This moment was my solace. In
it was imprinted the stories of
all who were and are,
all that was and is
A reminder of the only
constant history has to offer.
In the beginning
was the droplet, which turned into
rain, bringing with it the nostalgic
melody of a time before
we came
A time when rivers ran free
of barricades in their way,
A time when oceans were clean
of clutter and human waste, A
time when fresh water
was here to stay,
A time that we are losing to
ignorance and worldly prey.
Calandra watches from up
above, tears of pearls adorn her
eyes with the taste of hope,
they trickle down to Earth,
cleansing its soul
and giving it life
Baptism day has arrived.
Reflection
We live in an ever-changing world, yet our need for water remains constant. The water that we have now, is all the water we have ever had, and all that we ever will have; thus it serves as the connection between our planet’s past, present, and future. Historically, both water and the baptism process typically represents rebirth and healing; therefore, I decided to use the idea of a baptism as an extended metaphor for rainfall. The first stanza is a biblical reference that implies that rain is synonymous with revival, as it is often seen as a life-giving source and a symbol of renewal. Additionally, the last stanza refers to Calandra from the Greek mythology tale known as ‘rain of tears.’ It is a creative choice to use the literary device of enjambment in order to mimic the free flowing nature of water and rainfall. In whole, this poem aims to serve as a beacon of hope that change is still possible, and remind us that we have been offered a chance to right a wrong.